Alijah Arenas, a five-star high school basketball player, University of South Carolina-commit and son of former NBA all-star guard Gilbert Arenas, was seriously injured while behind the wheel of his Tesla Cybertruck, according to TMZ Sports. It’s not immediately clear what caused the wreck that left the truck mangled on the side of the road in a Los Angeles neighborhood.
The 18-year-old has since been hospitalized and placed into an induced coma, according to ESPN NBA reporter Shams Charania. Initial tests show that Arenas did have any broken bones as a result of the crash. A Los Angeles Fire Department spokesperson tells ESPN that they responded to a call at around 4:55 a.m. that a Cybertruck had crashed into a tree or fire hydrant, and a fire was involved. Initial reports to first responders said that there was a “trapped patient” inside the truck, however, when they arrived everyone had already made it out.
Not the first Cybertruck fire
A video posted by X user Corbin Williams shows a burnt-out, mangled Cybertruck on the side of the road in Los Angeles surrounded by first responders earlier today. I cannot confirm that this is the same accident, but it would be a hell of a coincidence if it wasn’t.
Saw this on my way to work, looks like the Cybertruck went up on the curb through a hydrant and straight into the big tree. This is my first time seeing a Cybertruck incident. pic.twitter.com/8bPFV2oLCM
— Corbin Williams (@corbinwilliams) April 24, 2025
Arenas is currently ranked 13 among recruits for the high school class of 2025 and committed to play college ball for the USC Trojans back in January, ESPN reports. He also just this month signed a sponsorship deal with Adidas. Arenas was also set to appear on his father’s podcast, called “Gil’s Arena” on April 24, but the show has been canceled because of the news, according to TMZ.
We’ve reported on a couple of other occasions where a Cybertruck caught fire following a crash, including one that had deadly results last November as well as a crash that left a Cybertruck burning after it ran into a fire hydrant.
Many of the circumstances around the crash and the scene are still unknown at this point, so we will update this story when and if we get more information.
